


That's Christmas To Me

by FuseboxMusebox



Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M, First Christmas, Fluff and Humor, Romance, Traditions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2020-12-23
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:00:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28259619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuseboxMusebox/pseuds/FuseboxMusebox
Summary: You and Bobby spend your first Christmas together, make some new traditions and have a little fun.
Relationships: Bobby McKenzie & Main Character (Love Island), Bobby McKenzie/Main Character (Love Island), Bobby McKenzie/Reader
Comments: 1
Kudos: 24





	That's Christmas To Me

**Author's Note:**

> It's been an awful year for everyone and for a lot of us, Christmas won't be much better. I just wanted give you all a little something to try and get into the spirit, however hard it may be. Merry Christmas xx

**_I've got this Christmas song in my heart,_ **

**_I've got the candles glowing in the dark,_ **

**_And then for years to come we'll always know one thing,_ **

**_That's the love that Christmas can bring,_ **

**_Oh, why?_ **

**_'Cause that's Christmas to me._ **

**********“

Alright, Lass.” Bobby's voice sounded from behind you. “What do you think?”

Halting in your current task, you turned around to face him. You weren't entirely sure what it was you were expecting when you came face to face with your boyfriend but it definitely wasn't _this_.

Decked out from head to toe in a mass variety of decorations, Bobby was stood on the other side of the room with a giant grin on his face, looking like the personification of a Christmas tree. It took you a while to process the entire image of what was in front of you but when you did, that was it. There was one tiny little detail that had you doubling over in laughter before you could stop yourself. He always had new and remarkable ways to make you laugh on a daily basis. 

“Wait…” You said, as you struggled to get a hold of yourself, making Bobby grin wider. “Are you plugged into the wall?”

Apparently Bobby had decided that tinsel alone wasn't going to cut it. Instead, he'd somehow wrapped himself up in the Christmas lights and plugged them in. The man in question was now a luminous glow of warmth. The golden light radiating off his tan skin. The sight made your smile soften slightly. 

“Yep. This has the potential to end very badly.” He responded casually, as if electrical safety wasn't important. 

“Can I ask why you thought this would be a good idea?”

“You can, but you might not like the answer.” The cheeky smirk that accompanied this response had you dreading what he was going to say next. 

“Go on…” You said, hesitation evident in your tone. 

“I'm keeping it lit.” 

You tried not to laugh at him this time, you really did. Because no good can come from laughing at Bobby McKenzie. It only encourages his sometimes questionable sense of humour. Naturally though, you failed and a few chuckles escaped in the middle of you shaking your head at him. 

“When are you gonna stop making awful puns?” 

“When you stop laughing at them.”

You shook your head fondly and went back to sorting through the wide variety of decorations, knowing full-well that your attention will be pulled away once again. 

Surely enough, a few seconds later, Bobby's voice sounded out through the living room again. “Um… Lass?”

“Yes, love?” You said, without looking at him. 

“I may need your assistance.”

You bit back a grin that was threatening to appear. “And why is that?”

“I might be a little stuck.”

“And who's fault is that?”

“Yours.”

You finally turned to face him, shock clearly visible on your face. “I beg your pardon?”

Bobby took one look at your stern expression and realised his mistake. Unfortunately, he's never one to learn from these types of errors, so he just proceeded to dig himself into a deeper hole. 

“Well, you were the one that told me to sort out these specific decorations.” He shrugged awkwardly from within the tangled mess of tinsel and lights. 

“Well yes but-” 

“And you didn't take into consideration my maturity levels or my desire to make you laugh on an hourly basis. What did you think was gonna happen?”

He had you there. Bobby was an open book and you knew him well enough to know that he rarely took anything too seriously, himself included. You also knew that he'd do anything to put a smile on your face, no matter how dumb it was and it always did the trick. 

But with that being said, you were also at a huge advantage at this precise moment and it was time to have a little fun of your own. A sly grin appeared on your face as you slowly approached Bobby, still tangled up and attached to an electrical circuit. 

The casual grin slowly disappeared from his face as he took in your expression. “Why are you looking at me like that?” 

You let out a dramatic sigh as you walked towards the living room door. “I remember you saying this morning that we needed some more milk.”

“Okay but-” 

“I'm just nipping to the shop real quick.” 

“Wait you-” 

“Don't move - I won't be long.” 

With that final mocking remark you sauntered out of the room, leaving Bobby to think about his foolish actions. 

**********

Several hours later (and then several more), you and Bobby had managed to miraculously reach a certain level of calm that was usually rare to come by in your household. 

You returned not long after you left earlier on, only giving it enough time to see what Bobby would do while tied up in a mess. The answer, of course, was that he tried to get himself out of it, only to make the situation worse. As per usual, you were sent into a round of hysterics while he continuously made light of the situation, saying “it's not Christmas unless you have to untangle the decorations before putting them up.”

After spending the majority of the afternoon making the house as festive as possible, you and Bobby found yourselves curled up next to each other nursing large mugs of hot chocolate in a comfortable silence. The rare peaceful moment had given you time to reflect on the way you and Bobby were celebrating Christmas together for the first time. 

The previous year was hard. You’d not yet moved in together so, while you were with your respective families, both of you couldn’t help but think something was missing. With Bobby in Glasgow and you at the opposite end of the UK, there wasn’t much you could do in terms of celebrating Christmas together. Sure, Bobby had visited you the week before Christmas and you’d had a three hour long video call on Christmas day, but you still couldn’t help but feel a little deflated. This year you’d managed to find a nice house in a town halfway between your previous locations. It was difficult moving away from what you both knew but taking that step to start a life together was what you both really wanted in the long-run. 

Smiling at the thought, you shifted closer to Bobby and his arm wrapped around you. The two of you had created a beautifully warm atmosphere as the lights from the tree twinkled from where it was placed close to the sofa you were curled up on. The personalised stockings hung closeby on the fireplace that was heating the living room with its glowing flames and scented candles added to the mood with a subtle aroma of vanilla and cinnamon. 

After a long moment of comfortable silence, Bobby shifted next to you and spoke quietly, as if he didn’t want to completely disturb the ambience you’d both created. 

“What makes Christmas special to you?”

“Huh?” You asked gently, not fully knowing what he was talking about.

“Well, I was thinking-”

“That’s dangerous.”

Bobby rolled his eyes at your interruption and nudged you. “Be quiet.”

You grinned but let him carry on.

“Everyone has a different opinion on what makes Christmas, Christmas. Different traditions and all that. We should mix together the things that are important to us this time of year. Make it special.” 

Somewhere through his explanation, Bobby had shifted further so the two of you were now facing each other. Listening to him had filled you with a kind of warmth that a fire wouldn’t have even dreamed of creating. 

“I like that,” you began, a smile growing on your face. “It’s not just about where we are on Christmas day or whose family we’re celebrating with. The lead up to it is just as important.”

“Exactly.” Bobby’s smile matched yours, his amber eyes unbelievably soft. “So what's Christmas to you, Lass?” 

You remained quiet for a moment, taking some time to think about it. You struggled to come up with anything major but you were suddenly hit with the realisation that it was because there _wasn’t_ anything major. That was the point.

“The simple things.” You finally said. Bobby tilted his head to the side, silently asking you to continue. 

“Spending time with loved ones, obviously, is important,” you elaborated, “but we never really had any huge traditions while growing up. It was more about appreciating the little moments that had a big impact.”

“So, it's what we're already doing?” 

“Exactly.” You mimicked him. “What about you?” 

It was Bobby's turn to go quiet while he thought about it. Eventually he turned to you again, eyes shining with happiness. 

“You know what?” 

“What?” 

“I couldn't have said it better myself.”

Thinking back on the events of the day, you realised both of you were completely right. It was the simple things that made this time of year special and it was something you were already participating in. 

To you, Christmas was putting up decorations. It was spending way too long putting up those decorations because you couldn't take each other seriously. It was the warmth of the fire creating a magical glow as you curled up before it, drinking hot chocolate with way too much cream. It was Christmas films. It was meaningful gifts. It was the hope that you'd get even a little bit of snow despite knowing how rare white Christmases were. It was watching people have fun while having fun yourself. It was the promise that no matter what happened, you'd try to make it as magical as possible. That was Christmas. And you were already doing it. 

**********

A few days later, you and Bobby could be found annoying the locals as you ventured out to explore the town's Christmas Market one night. Bobby in particular, began having way too much fun when you both came across a stall selling cookies and brownies. 

“I'm so sorry,” you said to the marketeer, “he thinks he's Paul Hollywood.”

The lady behind the stall opened her mouth to say it was fine but Bobby interrupted before she had the chance. 

“Excuse _you_ , I am channelling my inner Mary Berry.” 

You playfully rolled your eyes. “Oh, my mistake. Do carry on.” 

The woman noticed you shaking your head in exasperation and chuckled quietly. It wasn't an odd occurence for complete strangers to laugh at the two of you. The dynamic you had was unique and never failed to amuse everyone. 

Picking up a brownie sample, Bobby dramatically inspected it before placing it into his mouth. He nodded while chewing, a thoughtful look on his face. 

“Succulent.” He said simply, still nodding. 

There was no way you could even try to suppress the laughter that burst out of you. “Are you kidding me?! Succulent? _That's_ your Mary Berry-inspired food review?!” 

“They're so delicious, I didn't know what else to say.” 

“You're a _baker_!” 

“Exactly! I'm a baker, not a critic.”

You took a moment to stare at him in disbelief and then turned back to the marketeer who was still looking at you both in amusement. 

“Okay, we'll take a box of the brownies, thank you.” 

“Have a nice evening.” Bobby said with a charming smile, after you exchanged the cash for the cardboard box of baked goods. 

You rolled your eyes and tugged him by the arm to drag him away. “Yes, have a lovely night. I'm so sorry about him. I can't take him anywhere.”

The two of you continued to bicker back and forth as you moved further into the market. You should have known Bobby would be enthusiastic about this kind of thing. He was jumping from stall to stall like a kid in a sweet shop which, thinking about it, wasn't too far off the mark. 

A large portion of the stalls consisted of different foods. There were a variety of vintage sweets, churros, donuts and chocolate. You and Bobby being who you were managed to try a little bit of everything and were now weaving in and out of the hustle and bustle with cups of mulled wine. The warm spices were contradictory against the December cold and watching everyone wander around with smiles on their faces provided the same effect. 

Somewhere along the way you'd lost Bobby to the crowd. If it was anybody else who was with you, you would remain unconcerned, knowing you'd find them later. There was a small part of you, however that worried a little bit about the kind of thing Bobby would get up to around the busy marketplace. But before you could dwell on it too much, you were brought to a stop.

In front of you was a stall that included a wide variety of different Christmas tree baubles - each one as unique as the next, with intricate and beautiful designs. As you picked up and inspected a stunning gold one that seemed to glisten under the market's fairy lights, an idea began to form in your head that brought a small smile to your face. 

“Ah, there you are.” Bobby's voice interrupted your thoughts and the hands he'd placed around your waist made you physically jump out of your reverie. 

Turning to look at him, you narrowed your eyes suspiciously. “What have you been up to?” 

“Nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about.” Bobby responded with a smile, tapping you on the nose with his cold finger. “What about you?” 

You held up the bauble so he could see what you were looking at. “Came across these and I'm glad you're here because I had a thought.”

“That's dangerous.” Bobby smirked, mocking your words from a few days prior. 

You smacked his arm lightly in response. “Shut up. You know how we were saying the other day that neither of us had any set traditions while growing up?” 

“Yeah?” 

Bobby watched you as you turned back to the colourful table, a thoughtful look on your face. “What if we make our own?” 

Still thoroughly confused and evidently not following your thought process, he needed a bigger explanation. “What did you have in mind?” 

“What if every year we pick out a new bauble - something that's unique to us?” 

“So many many years from now we'll have created a personalised Christmas tree?” 

You nodded and turned back to look at Bobby only to find him gazing softly at you. “What?” 

“Nothing.” He shook his head with a smile and moved to examine the decorations on the table. “So how are we doing this, then?” 

“You pick one out and I'll tell you if I hate it or not.” Being too indecisive, you figured you should let Bobby do the honours for now. 

“Oof. Pressure.”

He moved to inspect them all more closely and you watched with a smile as his serious concentration face made a rare appearance. It didn't take long before something seemed to have caught his attention. He carefully picked up the one he was looking at and turned to show it to you. When you saw it, you wordlessly exchanged grins with each other, both thinking exactly the same thing. 

The glass dome was very reminiscent of a snow globe. Inside it, it had a 3D paper house with hand-drawn brick detailing. On the front door there was a tiny green wreath and the scene was complete with flakes of fake snow. The two of you knew exactly what it meant to each other without having to read the handwritten sign above the house. But those who wouldn't know, had it spelled out for them with the words “Our First Home.”

Considering you and Bobby had not long moved into your new house and were spending your first Christmas together in it, you both silently decided that you weren't going to find a more meaningful decoration that suited you both this year. This was it. 

“Good find.” You remarked lightly, the two of you still smiling at each other like the idiots you were. 

**********

After wandering around a little bit longer but ultimately finding nothing else that interested you, you and Bobby slowly made your way back home hand in hand, the cold becoming a little too much for you to handle. 

With lighthearted conversation filling the silence and smiling at passersby, it was safe to say you hadn't felt this at ease in a long time. 

It had been a long year for the both of you, with a lot of changes to get used to. House hunting was hard enough and was difficult to do when you both lived so far apart. But then you had to get used to the idea of moving away from your hometowns and your families. And then you had to find jobs in a new location. The logistics of moving in together was a lot to cope with and by the time you'd got everything sorted, you and Bobby could only be described as exhausted. But here you were now at the end of the year, finally settled and constantly enjoying each other's company. Now all the chaos seemed like a lifetime ago. 

Not living too far from the centre of town, you and Bobby were coming up to the quiet street you lived on. At least, it _was_ a quiet street until you moved in. At this moment you wanted to get out of the cold as quickly as possible but when you moved to get the keys out of your bag, Bobby gripped your hand tighter and brought you both to a stop. It took you a second to realise why but once you did, you were smiling for the millionth time that week. 

“Snow.” Bobby breathed out, softly. 

You turned to look at him and a wave of warmth instantly shot through you. He was looking up at the snowflakes that were lightly falling from the sky and the orange hue of the street lights were lighting up his features. Noticing your stare, he looked down at you and you had a feeling that the sheer love in his expression was mirrored on yours. 

The sound of a front door opened from across the street and both of you simultaneously tore your gazes away from each other. If anything, your identical grins grew brighter as you saw your neighbours children excitedly run outside. You had occasionally babysat for them since moving to the area and had become friends with their parents. Watching and listening to their enthusiastic exclamations about the weather as they ran outside into the cold brought on a wave of nostalgia as you momentarily had flashbacks to your childhood. 

Turning to Bobby, you nudged him in the side. “Honestly, I see no difference between you and them.”

“Are you questioning my mental age?” 

“You've never given me a reason not to.” you shrugged with a smirk. 

As you continued to watch your neighbours get excited about the first (and rare) snow of the year, you and Bobby exchanged another knowing look that required no words. You'd hit an important milestone in your relationship this year but you both knew that there were many more to come. You felt a flutter of excitement through you at the thought of what the future will bring. 

You smiled softly at Bobby and began to untangle your hands, earning a look of confusion. A cheeky grin made its way to your lips as you lifted up your pinky finger. 

“Here's to our first magical Christmas together.”

Bobby's bright eyes sparkled as the snow flurried lightly around you both. Knowing the importance of the promise the two of you were about to make, he intertwined his pinky with yours, making you laugh quietly. 

“And many more after this.”

**********

**Author's Note:**

> Song used - That's Christmas To Me, Pentatonix.


End file.
